Teacher Training in Pakistan: Problems and Solutions for
Student Teaching Preparatory Programs
Muhammad Sarwar
Assistant Professor of Education, Department of Education, University of Sargodha (Pakistan) E-mail: drsarwar@ymail.com
Tel: 0092-321-8600055
Shafqat Hussain
Assistant Professor of Education, Department of Education, GC University Faisalabad (Pakistan) AbstractStudent teaching is a unique opportunity for inexperienced, pre-service teachers to develop a clear professional identity and explore the full responsibilities of a practicing teacher while having solid, supervisory support from an experienced educator. However, this valuable educational opportunity needs improvement in today’s Pakistani educational system. The study incorporated student teachers, cooperating classroom teachers, and school administrators in the Punjab Province. Two local university education departments and, more specifically, four colleges designated for elementary teacher training affiliated with Pakistan’s University of Education, were used for the study through sampling techniques. Eighty-four student teachers, cooperating teachers, and school principals were interviewed. In addition, a rating scale was administered to 150 student teachers and 44 cooperating teachers selected from the above mentioned institutions. The analysis of data revealed that Pakistani trainee-teachers were weak in discipline, lesson planning, classroom management, and content knowledge. They face the problems of transport, rigid school discipline, communication problems in English, and difficulty of teaching junior classes. These problems can be solved by more rigorous training in the above said weak areas. This manuscript discusses research findings, identifying both problems and solutions for Pakistan’s student teaching preparatory...